Golden Knights eliminated from playoffs after failing to capitalize at home

There will be a new Stanley Cup champion this season after the Vegas Golden Knights were eliminated by the Dallas Stars with a 2-1 loss in Game 7 of the Western Conference First Round on Sunday.

Vegas (45-29-8) qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the second wild card in the West and has reached the postseason in six of its first seven NHL seasons, including winning the Cup in 2023.

The skinny

Potential unrestricted free agents: Jonathan Marchessault, F; Anthony Mantha, F; Chandler Stephenson, F; William Carrier, F; Michael Amadio, F; Alec Martinez, D, Jiri Patera, G.

Potential restricted free agents: Pavel Dorofeyev, F.

Potential 2024 Draft picks: 4

Here are five reasons the Golden Knights were eliminated:

1. Failure to capitalize on home ice

Vegas had the opportunity to put a stranglehold on the series at home after winning the first two games in Dallas but lost the next two at T-Mobile Arena, giving home-ice advantage back to the Stars.

The Stars became the second team in NHL history to win a best-of-7 series against the reigning Stanley Cup champion after dropping each of the first two games at home, joining the Colorado Avalanche against the Detroit Red Wings in the 1999 Western Conference Semifinals.

2. Lack of star production

Vegas forward Jack Eichel had seven points (three goals, four assists), which was tied for the most in the series with Stars forward Wyatt Johnston. However, aside from Eichel, the Golden Knights failed to get much more from their star players.

Jonathan Marchessault, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy last season voted as the most valuable player in the playoffs, finished with four points (two goals, two assists), but none in the final three games. He had five shots on goal in Game 7.

Mark Stone had three goals, including two on the power play, but did not have a shot on goal in Game 7.

William Karlsson, who was hampered by a lower-body injury, had two assists. Stephenson and Tomas Hertl each had one point.

Each game in the series was decided by one goal, not including empty-netters.

3. Dallas had more depth

Stars coach Pete DeBoer said before the series his team was deeper than the one that lost to the Golden Knights in the 2023 Western Conference Final.

The fourth line played a valuable role in Game 7. Dallas forward Radek Faksa, who missed four games with an undisclosed injury, scored the game-winner early in the third period.

In all, the Stars had 16 players find the score sheet in the first round.

4. Stars win goalie duel

Both Logan Thompson and Adin Hill received playing time in the series; Thompson won Games and 1 and 2 but then lost the next two, which prompted Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy to turn to Hill for Game 5.

Hill was solid in his three starts (1.70 goals-against average, .931 save percentage), but Stars goalie Jake Oettinger got better as the series went along.

After allowing four goals in 15 shots in Game 1, Oettinger stopped 162 of 172 shots (.942 save percentage) the rest of the way.

5. Inability to slow Johnston

The 20-year-old had a coming-out party in the series.

After being held off the score sheet by the Golden Knights in the conference final last season, Johnston had seven points (four goals, three assists) for the Stars this time around, including the overtime goal in Game 3, which turned the tide in the series.